During the 1930's, many workers faced hardships. Their jobs were unfair, dangerous, and the amount of pay they received declined as the depression hit. What we take away after reviewing the interviews of more than a dozen people is that no matter what ethnicity, gender, or social class you’re in, everybody has value. Nobody deserves less than another person, and that every person on this planet can exceed their expectations as humans no matter who they are and where they come from. In the 1930s the National Government issued The Federal Writer's Project; they recorded over 10,000 working situations. One person interviewed was Mrs. Marie Haggerty who was a maid for a wealthy family during the Great Depression. Her job was very competitive, and she was tested often to trust her honesty. One instance was when she was making up a bed, and she noticed a five dollar bill on the bed side table. Contemplating to fetch it was a mere idea when she realized that her masters were only testing her ability to lie. "My face burnt like fire, for I knowed I was gettin' tested." This was the remark she impressed the FWP with. Cole was another man of this travail era. His efforts to join the Union were devastated when he came to reality that they wouldn't accept an African American in this association. "Negro. That's it. Just didn't want a Negro man to have what he should. That's wrong. You know that's wrong." This is what he told the Federal Writer's Project, and he is understandable and completely accurate. All humans should have the same rights and privileges. "You see you already had the pattern and you'd already put the pieces together so that much was your own idea." This was part of a remark Mrs. Mayme Reesegave during her interview. She discussed hobbies that her and other Africa- American housewives did, and her favorite or the more preferred project was quilting parties. She says how no matter how beautiful, or how many people worked on a quilt, the winners of the best quilts were always woman. She explains how she has come to accept that fact, but at heart just cares about her patterns and ideas. Another man interviewed was a man at Colonial Park. He was given the question that pertained to the similarities and differences between the rich and poor. "God made all this, and he made it for everybody" In this part he says that God has given everything to everybody, and that everybody deserves what God has provided them with. "He asked who helped and I said, 'Alone.' I wasn't wasting many words on him. He was struck dumb." This was spoken by Mrs. Elizabeth E. Miller, whom explained an incident that occurred in her early 20s. She was home alone and butchered a giant hog outside that her husband and neighbors were supposed to tend to when they finished with another hog a few miles away. When he came back, he was dumbfounded to realize that Mrs. Miller had done it by herself, being a woman and all. However, she proved to him that all women are just as talented, strong, and skilled as men are. From these interviews I learned that working during this time period was hard for many people. For example, one man, Irving Fajans found his job at Macy's at times difficult. While he was there, workers were often fired if they were caught distributing leaflets about the union. He and other workers had to go to extreme measures in order to get messages across. At one point they replaced the toilet paper in bathrooms with slips of paper containing the message so that they wouldn't get caught. Another person, Anna Novak, was a packing house worker in Chicago. On Holidays, Anna, along the other men and women working in the stockyards had to bring presents for the foremen. "Your job wasn't worth much if you didn't observe the holiday "customs"." In addition, Anna recalls, "You could get along swell if you let the boss slap you on the behind." Anna told the interviewer that she hated working in the stockyard just for that reason alone. Mr. Garavelli,an Italian man, told the interviewer that his job as a stone cutter was dangerous and many who had it as a job died from silica. Therefore, Mr. Garavelli faced a hardship everyday when he went to work because everyday he had the possibility of catching silica. During the interview he commented that working as a stone cutter was a job that he would never want his son to have. "You bet your life my kid don't go to work in no stone shed." He said this because he knew just how dangerous working at this job could be and he would never want his son to have to experience want he did. Alice Caudle had worked in a mill since she was ten.When she arrived she had to stand on a box just to be able to reach the machine. Even so, she was very good at her job and learned how to spool and even work the new winding machines the mill received as soon as it got them. Alice did face a hardship however. Even though she was good at her job and reckoned that she could have gone far in the business. However, because she was a female, she didn't have the same opportunities as a male would have if he had the same amount of skill that she did. Clyde "Kingfish"Smithwas also a man who faced many challenges, but unlike others he decided to make the best of it. He had a job as a vendor and would attract customers by singing jingles such as "Heighho, fish man, bring down you dishpan," and, "Fish ain't but five cent a pound....." His singing work and many who couldn't believe that the fish price was so low due to the depression, bought for him. What Clyde did became a hit and even in the tough times, he was able to make a living. The significant information I picked up by reading and listening to Brnice interview is how and why she decided to give rent-parties. I learned that the reason behind her party giving was that when her husband had left her, she decided to throw these parties. At first when she came to New York she thought parties were disgraceful, but soon learned to like them after her husband leaving her. Also, she had nothing to lose. Her roommates were one white and one colored kid, when they had met each other they decided to split the parties half and half. She became less uptight when her husband had left her with nothing but an apartment. The significant information I picked up by listening to bar was if the man liked to live in New York City. This man has said several of times that "I’m in New York, but New York aint in me" By this statement, I think he likes to live in New York but does not act like the New Yorkers he's around. The people he is around Cheat poor people out in what they got. There is also shooting, cutting, backbiting. From reading this simple 30 second interview I had learned allot about what New York had been like in the past, and still is. Many poor people still live there as of now, and there are also many crimes in New York as there was back then. The important information I picked up by reading and listening to Chris Thorten speak of his job. I had learned is opinion on if he thought his job was dangerous. Chris Thorten was an iron worker, and had this to say about the job. "You ain't an Iron worker unless you get killed." From this you can tell that having the role that he does is dangerous. He had said many men had got hurt on this type of job, and have also died. I personally believe that an iron worker was not that dangerous of a ground, now that I have read this interview I feel different. You can tell that being an iron worker was a serious job, not a joke. The people that were interviewed had smart wits and knew how to survive during the Great Depression. As a group we can say that the overall significant point of the articles was to let us know that everyone has value. It doesn't matter if you're a woman, black, Asian, short, tall, rich, poor, or white, and that nothings fair but we learn to adapt to it.
In the 1930s the National Government issued The Federal Writer's Project; they recorded over 10,000 working situations. One person interviewed was Mrs. Marie Haggerty who was a maid for a wealthy family during the Great Depression. Her job was very competitive, and she was tested often to trust her honesty. One instance was when she was making up a bed, and she noticed a five dollar bill on the bed side table. Contemplating to fetch it was a mere idea when she realized that her masters were only testing her ability to lie. "My face burnt like fire, for I knowed I was gettin' tested." This was the remark she impressed the FWP with. Cole was another man of this travail era. His efforts to join the Union were devastated when he came to reality that they wouldn't accept an African American in this association. "Negro. That's it. Just didn't want a Negro man to have what he should. That's wrong. You know that's wrong." This is what he told the Federal Writer's Project, and he is understandable and completely accurate. All humans should have the same rights and privileges. "You see you already had the pattern and you'd already put the pieces together so that much was your own idea." This was part of a remark Mrs. Mayme Reesegave during her interview. She discussed hobbies that her and other Africa- American housewives did, and her favorite or the more preferred project was quilting parties. She says how no matter how beautiful, or how many people worked on a quilt, the winners of the best quilts were always woman. She explains how she has come to accept that fact, but at heart just cares about her patterns and ideas. Another man interviewed was a man at Colonial Park. He was given the question that pertained to the similarities and differences between the rich and poor. "God made all this, and he made it for everybody" In this part he says that God has given everything to everybody, and that everybody deserves what God has provided them with. "He asked who helped and I said, 'Alone.' I wasn't wasting many words on him. He was struck dumb." This was spoken by Mrs. Elizabeth E. Miller, whom explained an incident that occurred in her early 20s. She was home alone and butchered a giant hog outside that her husband and neighbors were supposed to tend to when they finished with another hog a few miles away. When he came back, he was dumbfounded to realize that Mrs. Miller had done it by herself, being a woman and all. However, she proved to him that all women are just as talented, strong, and skilled as men are. From these interviews I learned that working during this time period was hard for many people. For example, one man, Irving Fajans found his job at Macy's at times difficult. While he was there, workers were often fired if they were caught distributing leaflets about the union. He and other workers had to go to extreme measures in order to get messages across. At one point they replaced the toilet paper in bathrooms with slips of paper containing the message so that they wouldn't get caught. Another person, Anna Novak, was a packing house worker in Chicago. On Holidays, Anna, along the other men and women working in the stockyards had to bring presents for the foremen. "Your job wasn't worth much if you didn't observe the holiday "customs"." In addition, Anna recalls, "You could get along swell if you let the boss slap you on the behind." Anna told the interviewer that she hated working in the stockyard just for that reason alone. Mr. Garavelli,an Italian man, told the interviewer that his job as a stone cutter was dangerous and many who had it as a job died from silica. Therefore, Mr. Garavelli faced a hardship everyday when he went to work because everyday he had the possibility of catching silica. During the interview he commented that working as a stone cutter was a job that he would never want his son to have. "You bet your life my kid don't go to work in no stone shed." He said this because he knew just how dangerous working at this job could be and he would never want his son to have to experience want he did. Alice Caudle had worked in a mill since she was ten.When she arrived she had to stand on a box just to be able to reach the machine. Even so, she was very good at her job and learned how to spool and even work the new winding machines the mill received as soon as it got them. Alice did face a hardship however. Even though she was good at her job and reckoned that she could have gone far in the business. However, because she was a female, she didn't have the same opportunities as a male would have if he had the same amount of skill that she did. Clyde "Kingfish"Smithwas also a man who faced many challenges, but unlike others he decided to make the best of it. He had a job as a vendor and would attract customers by singing jingles such as "Heighho, fish man, bring down you dishpan," and, "Fish ain't but five cent a pound....." His singing work and many who couldn't believe that the fish price was so low due to the depression, bought for him. What Clyde did became a hit and even in the tough times, he was able to make a living. The significant information I picked up by reading and listening to Brnice interview is how and why she decided to give rent-parties. I learned that the reason behind her party giving was that when her husband had left her, she decided to throw these parties. At first when she came to New York she thought parties were disgraceful, but soon learned to like them after her husband leaving her. Also, she had nothing to lose. Her roommates were one white and one colored kid, when they had met each other they decided to split the parties half and half. She became less uptight when her husband had left her with nothing but an apartment. The significant information I picked up by listening to bar was if the man liked to live in New York City. This man has said several of times that "I’m in New York, but New York aint in me" By this statement, I think he likes to live in New York but does not act like the New Yorkers he's around. The people he is around Cheat poor people out in what they got. There is also shooting, cutting, backbiting. From reading this simple 30 second interview I had learned allot about what New York had been like in the past, and still is. Many poor people still live there as of now, and there are also many crimes in New York as there was back then. The important information I picked up by reading and listening to Chris Thorten speak of his job. I had learned is opinion on if he thought his job was dangerous. Chris Thorten was an iron worker, and had this to say about the job. "You ain't an Iron worker unless you get killed." From this you can tell that having the role that he does is dangerous. He had said many men had got hurt on this type of job, and have also died. I personally believe that an iron worker was not that dangerous of a ground, now that I have read this interview I feel different. You can tell that being an iron worker was a serious job, not a joke. The people that were interviewed had smart wits and knew how to survive during the Great Depression. As a group we can say that the overall significant point of the articles was to let us know that everyone has value. It doesn't matter if you're a woman, black, Asian, short, tall, rich, poor, or white, and that nothings fair but we learn to adapt to it.